1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to welding. More particularly, the invention is directed to articles used for welding work piece setup.
2. Description of Prior Art
By way of background, when two structures are to be welded together, the structures need to be positioned relative to each other to form a gap (known as a welding gap or root gap) into which the welding solder can flow and form a strong weld. For some welding applications, the required welding gap is governed by welding specifications promulgated by governmental entities, engineering organizations and/or standards bodies. In order to form a welding gap, the conventional practice has been to insert a piece of soldering rod between the structures to act as a spacer, and then create one or more tack welds to set the gap in an operation known as a root pass. Unfortunately, forming the tack weld tends to draw the structures together and pinch the spacer. This often requires a grinding operation to remove the trapped spacer material so that the full weld can be formed.